


Reverie

by dreamgirls



Series: Agape [1]
Category: Tales of Destiny, Tales of Series, Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hey i fuckin love these two, Leon is so cute we stan, Romance, Tsunderes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-21 12:13:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16576265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamgirls/pseuds/dreamgirls
Summary: rev·er·ienouna state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream.Leon doesn't want to let anyone in, and Puella doesn't understand why she's so drawn to Leon.[A series of drabbles containing the evolution of the Descender, Puella's, and Leon's relationship.]





	Reverie

**Author's Note:**

> This series takes place a bit later than what Descender is at currently, and will focus more of the relationship of the Descender, Puella, and Leon Magnus' relationship. 
> 
> Takes place after the events of the main story quest: "Rescue Leon and Defeat Gilgulim" from Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puella has trouble sleeping without company, and has to turn to Leon when Stahn is out on a mission. Leon struggles over newfound feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If possible, listening to What's Your Favorite Color by Baths/Bee & Puppycat soundtrack would greatly better your reading experience for this!
> 
> Also, chapter three for Descender should be up later on tonight! But I was very excited to write for these two because I love their dynamic in both canon and for the (sorta) au I'm writing in Descender. Not quite necessary for the main fic, but some elements of their relationship may show up later in that one so! 
> 
> Enjoy!

The faint glow of the lit lamps illuminated the town of Doplund, and the buzzing of the cicadas made the large area beam with a sort of homeliness. There were only a few people out at such late hours—the few older women who would gather nearby to gossip, sometimes a pair of teenage girls gushing over a certain broody young man, and the rare older man coming home from some sort of job.

Puella had gotten quite used to the atmosphere of Doplund. It was certainly livelier than Ailily, and she liked the people here, too. 

"So, where to?" 

Puella took a second to register Mormo's question, blinking quickly before turning her head to look toward the other descender hovering beside her. 

"Are we heading to the inn?" He asked with a raise of a brow. 

"We don't have enough money, Mormo," she replied quietly. "And Miss Rutee has us in debt already."

Mormo deadpanned. He couldn't help but think of how fitting that was of Rutee. They certainly didn't help out around the inn like Kanonno but they had hoped some of their help with some of the quests they'd put in had meant something. Perhaps those septanite nuggets were just enough to pay off those couple "free" stays from earlier in the month. Certainly could've been worse—she could've forced them to work alongside Kanonno all while juggling guild work, so at least they were free of that.

"So, then doesn't that mean...?" 

Puella clutched the pillow to her chest a bit closer. She bit her lip nervously as she looked down to avoid Mormo's stare.

"Yeah," she muttered. "Stahn said to go to Leon's should he ever be out of town and we don't have cash." 

"Ugh, I know you're fond of him, Puella, but are you really sure you can't just sleep in Stahn's house without him? I mean, you're technically not sleeping alone—I'm with you! And Leon's a pain! He probably won't even let you in the door! Or he'll just rant your ear off with how mad he'd be at you even insinuating that he'd let you stay or whatever."

Mormo was alright with Leon, truly, but that guy could really get frustrating. He was so snobby and condescending! But they were sorta friends after the whole rescue mission, so it seemed like with Leon softening up to them, at least? Mormo could drone on in his thoughts, but he just wanted some sleep, really.

"I'm sorry, Mormo."

Mormo took a moment to register that.

"What? No! No. Puella, it's fine if you feel better sleeping around other humans. It's kinda what you've been doing since you were literally born. It's fine. I'm just tired, don't take it personally. Let's just hurry and get to Leon's place."

Puella still hadn't raised her head yet, but she gave a slight nod and trekked forward, making sure to tuck the shared house key under Stahn's doormat, as per usual. The concrete of the ground was cold under Puella's bare feet, but she didn't seem to mind too much. The cool air at this hour felt nice to her, the nightgown she wore still allowing her to feel the chill of the night breeze. 

The walk over to Leon's house wasn't far. They had stopped by a couple of times before when Leon had gotten knocked out and had been unconscious for about a week, so they remembered how to get there pretty quickly. Soon enough, the pair stood before the door to the said boy's abode. 

"M-Mormo, I don't know. Maybe it's not a good idea," Puella started before Mormo went and knocked on the door to cut her off. "Mormo! No! I wasn't ready yet!" 

She began to sweat; she could hear muffled footsteps from behind the door, and as it got closer, muffled curses began to mix into the noise.

With a sharp swing back, the door opened to reveal an irritable, tired Leon Magnus. 

"What in the world could you possibly want from me at such an hour?!" The distraught teen snarled as he glowered at the two of them, before his face softened slightly in recognition. "God. What is it you two are here for?"

"Well, you see, my partner here can't quite sleep without the company of other humans and Stahn is out of town on a mission, so!"

"So you're here. And why would I let you stay?" Leon shot right back. He was obviously in no mood to play around.

"Leon," Puella started reluctantly. She raised her head and looked at the other teen shyly. "I'm sorry. We don't mean to bother you. I promise if you let us in, we won't get in your way. We'll leave early in the morning. But if you just want us to leave, we'll leave."

Leon seemed somewhat frustrated at her reply. He furrowed his brows and crossed his arms, quietly letting out a sigh before looking back to the pair before him. He looked to be sizing them up, perhaps?

He looked away and turned his back on the two.

"...Hmph. Just don't think this means you can just start freeloading around."

A small gasp was elicited from behind him, the pair looking at each other with a mixture of glee and disbelief. He had actually let them in? They had figured he'd just instantly say no, but huh!

Maybe Garr was right when he said that Leon had come to accept them.

"God. Hurry up and get inside, or I'll shut the door in your faces." 

Maybe, or maybe not.

"Sorry!" Puella yelped as she dragged Mormo inside with her and quickly closed the door behind her. "Thank you so much, Leon. This really means so much to me. I'll be in your debt."

Leon only let out a soft grunt in response. 

"Alright! So, where's the guest room, fancy pants? I'm ready to get my sleep on!" Mormo questioned in the middle of yawning loudly. 

"Mormo!" Puella exclaimed, giving a slight tug to one of her flying friend's ears. "Don't be like that! We need to be polite, Leon had the kindness to let us stay with him for the night."

She tugged the other descender closer for a moment. "And he might kick us out, because it's Leon. Hush!" She whispered as so Leon would be unable to hear.

"Puella," Leon called as he turned. His face was no longer as harsh as before. "The guest room is upstairs; it's the room to the left side of the hall." 

"I see. Thank you, Leon," Puella replied with a warm smile. 

The boy turned away once again, but Mormo didn't miss the redness that spread across his cheeks this time. 

The two stopped to watch as Leon began to walk into his kitchen area and set something up upon the stove.

"Leon? You're not heading back to bed?" Puella asked, tilting her head slightly as her face twisted in confusion.

"No. Since you two so rudely woke me, I figured I'd have trouble getting back to sleep now. So I'm making some tea. Valerian tea. It often helps me sleep."

"It's a drink that...makes you sleep?" Puella questioned, not quite understanding how that worked. She didn't question it further after Leon shot her an odd look. "Right, okay. Um, I'll be right back. Please wait for me."

"Wait for...?" Leon trailed off quickly, hearing the girl's loud footsteps as she disappeared up the stairs. "Ugh."

Mormo grinned almost dangerously as he glided over to the young teen. "Oh, Leon," He cooed obnoxiously. "I saw you blush earlier!"

"Hush, you flying rodent! I did no such thing!" Leon snapped toward the small descender. "You should learn from your partner. At least she isn't half as annoying as you, you puny nuisance."

"Oh? You even find her less annoying? Mister 'I get into fights with literally everyone' finds Puella less annoying?" Mormo repeated, his grin ever growing. 

"God, I should punt you out of my house."

"I mean, you could, but Puella wouldn't like that, would she?"

Leon was about to retort, when familiar footsteps could be heard once more. He didn't even bother to spare a glance back over to her when she joined them in the kitchen. 

"Oh, you put up your pillow," Mormo pointed out as he got comfortable on Leon's kitchen counter.

"Yeah. I figured I should at least try to keep Leon company if I forced him to stay up like this. The pillow's a little hard to just carry around when you're trying to enjoy some company though," Puella replied as she neared Mormo by the counter. 

Leon stayed silent as the tea finished up. Opening one of the cabinet doors, he fished out two beautiful teacups and set them upon the counter. He poured a bit of tea into both cups. 

"Puella, sit," He said curtly as he gave a sharp nod over to the direction of the small table, two chairs placed across from one another. 

"Ah, alright!" She yelped, taken aback by the sudden request. She took a seat and began to fidget with her hands when Leon turned back around momentarily to grab up the cups. He gently set them down, setting one down before Puella and one before himself as he slid into the seat across from the pink haired girl. "Uh, is this...for me?"

"Do you think I set it down in front of you for no reason?" Leon snapped, though the heat behind it was less than usual. "Drink it if you please. Don't waste my time with such obvious questions."

Puella ignored him as she lifted the cup and took a small sip. It was only then that Leon noticed the wrapped bandages around her hands and fingers. There were also some around her upper arms. He wondered if she had any more.

"It's really good, Leon. I've never," Puella tried to finish her thought before a yawn escaped her lips. "Sorry. I've never had any tea before. It's good."

Leon lowers his head as he notices Mormo staring at him with that same damnable smirk. He wasn't able to help the warmth in his cheeks. He replied only with a quiet grunt.

Without much hesitation, Puella downed the rest of tea in her cup and yawned once more. 

"Hmph. How crass." 

Leon sighed as he took his time finishing his. He stood as he let out a small exhale, his empty cup in his hands. He took up Puella's cup and turned away, placing them in the sink to be washed. 

"Puella, I'm sure you saw when you went up there, but I have no spare accommodations for you," Leon spoke up all of the sudden. 

"That's fine. I have my pillow. I don't really need a blanket, but Mormo might complain about that a bit."

Mormo huffed and crossed his tiny arms, looking somewhat angry but remained silent. Puella giggled at the small creature trying to look so mad.

"Mormo, it should be fine if you stick close to me," she mentioned with a playful tone. "Plus you're kinda furry, so that's good enough for me!"

The two shared a short laugh together before Leon cleared his throat loudly. 

"I'm going to clean up. If all you two are going to do is joke around like a pair of idiots, then I'd suggest you both head up to the guest room."

Puella blinked in surprise before raising from her seat quickly. "Ah, sorry, Leon! Are you sure you don't need any help?" She asked before pulling her chair in. 

"It's only washing cups. I can do it alone."

"Ah, right," Puella muttered in response. 

Leon turned his head toward the girl to send her a half-hearted glare, but flinched when it was met with a kind smile.

"Um, Leon, thank you again for letting us stay for the night. I know you aren't too fond of other people, but I'm still glad you took a chance on us. I just want you to know that we're here for you, okay? You don't always have to be alone."

Leon had paused in his ministrations, the words still processing in his head. His cheeks turned a dark red, and he dipped his head lower. His brows twitched as he heard the faint snickers coming from a certain somebody. 

Puella waited for a response, but none came. She sighed quietly before walking over to the staircase. "I'll be heading up. Let's go, Mormo," She said as she glanced back over to Leon one last time. "Goodnight, Leon. I hope you sleep well."

"Goodnight," Leon muttered under his breath as he heard the footsteps disappear up the stairs. 

Now he was alone once again. He was at least glad the pesky flying rodent hadn't bothered to stick around this time. Though, as he turned on the sink and began to wash the cups, one at a time, he realized how quiet it had gotten. He couldn't help but feel a small speck of loneliness all of the sudden. He tried to not acknowledge it. 

With the quiet clink of cups as he switched to wash the one Puella had drank out of, he realized. It had been a long time since anyone had stayed with him, or even spent much time with him as of late. What with his recent reckless actions, and the epidemic with the earthquakes, it seemed as if more people were either too busy, or recovering, like in Puella's case. 

He probably should've happier about that. Having time to himself was one of the few things he enjoyed nowadays. 

"Damn it all," He cursed to himself as he turned off the sink and set the last cup down. 

Perhaps he should be kinder, he thought to himself. He thought back to last week's events; when he had gotten knocked out, and woke up later to go back out to destroy that beast that had destroyed his home before. He remembered reaching the fork in the weald when the pair had confronted him. They had apparently chased after him to stop him from fighting in the shape he was in. Looking back now, he probably would have died had he fought alone at that time. He would never admit that out loud, though. 

He remembered how Puella had quite literally shouted him down as she cried for him to stop. Mormo yelled at him as well, branding them friends. 

He remembered how well they had fought together. Chal had made a comment about it sometime during the fight. 

He remembered when Puella passed out all of the sudden. She had done something to the Gilgulim node to make it disappear; it obviously didn't come without its consequences. It seemed to strain her body, but such an ability would be necessary if Gilgulim were to be stopped. 

His stomach turned at the thought that her death would most likely be necessary for the world to be saved.

The knot in his stomach worsened as he recalled her warmth on his back. She was slightly taller than him, but she was so light when he had carried her on his back after she fell unconscious. He didn't know what came over him at the time, his face burning as he recalled having talked to her the entire time she had been out. She couldn't even hear him, so why had he even bothered to have done something so pointlessly sentimental? He could still hear Chal and Mormo snickering at him even now.

He breathed out sharply as he finally pulled himself out of his thoughts for a moment. He was still standing before the sink, hands resting on each side. 

The image of Puella's warm smile as she thanked him for carrying her home after she woke popped into his head once again. It wasn't the first time it had happened; it had been popping up repeatedly ever since that day. It was annoying. It made his stomach twist.

He furrowed his brows as he pushed himself away from the sink, and away from his thoughts. His face still burned horribly, feeling a bit of sweat beginning to accumulate upon his palms.

"God," He muttered. "Damn it all."

He walked away. He neared the stairs, neglecting to pull in his chair. 

He subconsciously walked quieter than usual up his stairs. He didn't want to think upon the implications of it. 

The door to the guest room was mostly closed, but slightly ajar. He peeked in as he walked by, making out the still figures of Puella and Mormo laying together upon the bare bed, save for the pillow she had brought with her. Mormo's small back faced Leon, the creature cuddled close to her chest. They both seemed to already be deep asleep, their light breathing and quiet snores could barely be heard. 

He turned away, walking further down the hall to his own room. The door was completely closed. He quietly opened it before he strode in, his eyes glancing over to the sword resting upon his bed.

"So," a voice started up. "You let Miss Puella and her companion stay the night, young master?" 

"Chal, don't think anything more of it." 

"Hm. Young master, if I had to say..."

"Chal. No more of it."

The swordian hummed in satisfaction, before continuing.

"That guest room has been empty for quite a while. Are you sure they're able to sleep well in there, young master?" 

Leon sighed. "Yes, Chal. They're sleeping fine."

"Hm, I guess you'd know. I heard you stop and check in on them a moment ago," Chal shot back smugly.

"Hmph."

Leon stopped for a moment, his stomach twisting in that odd fashion much like before. His eyes landed upon his pink cape, draped over the chair by his nightstand. He ignored Chal's questioning of what he was doing as he walked over to the cape and gathered it up into his arms. 

"Young master?" He called out after him in confusion as the said boy exited the room with the cape still in his posession.

Leon merely ignored him. He quieted his steps as he trudged back down the hall, and pushed the door open silently. He stepped inside the partially empty room. He could clearly see Puella's sleeping face. Never would he ever admit to possibly thinking it was cute. 

He neared the bed, sidestepping the old worn chair by the bed, and laid the cape over the pair's intertwined form. 

He sighed. He asked himself when had he became so soft in his head. Such sentimentality was useless, yet...

As Leon turned to walk away, something suddenly stopped him. A weak grip on his wrist. 

He looked over his shoulder to see that Puella had reached out and grabbed his wrist in her sleep-induced state. He turned to face her once more, his posture stiff as he stood there. He was about to pull away until he began to hear low mutters from Puella herself.

"Leon," She whispered. The boy had to do a double take at how low it was; he had almost not heard her at all. However, once he processed what she had said, that knot from earlier turned and twisted once again. His face began to burn, as well. He could only wonder what she was dreaming about. "Don't...go."

He flinched this time. Was he leaving in her dream? Why had he not pulled away yet? 

"Don't want....to lose you."

That one hit him harder than before. He realized that she was dreaming of the events from the week prior. She was dreaming of when they had confronted him and talked him down from fighting alone. She was repeating the same words she had cried out from that time. 

She had...nightmares about that? He asked in his head. He continued to stare down at her in disbelief.

"Please...don't go."

So he didn't. 

Chal might ask him about it in the morning, but that was fine. He ignored his brain trying to tell him how pointless his sentimentality was, and how dangerous it was to become so oddly fond of Puella. 

He sat down in the old chair by the bed, and let her hold on to his wrist for the rest of the night, eventually falling asleep as he slumped down into the seat. 

He'd sort out his thoughts in the morning.


End file.
